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The DIY Ecosystem Than Can Feed Your Family And The World

It has ancient roots in Chinese and Aztec culture, is one of today’s most efficient ways to grow food and many are calling it “the gardening of the future.” What contributes to this method’s timeless success? Where traditional farming techniques require constant maintenance and ample space, this does not. You can grow more food, with less resources, and in places where conventional gardening is impossible. Whether you live in the country, the desert, or a one bedroom apartment in Chicago, growing food is easy and achievable with aquaponics.

WAIT, AQUA-WHAT?

Aquaponics is a gardening technique that combines fish farming (aquaculture) with soil free plant farming (hydroponics). It can provide both an abundance of organic veggies and fresh fish for your table. Aquaponics is becoming increasingly more popular today due to its unmatched capabilities in producing food. What makes it so special? An aquaponics garden:

uses 90% less water than traditional gardening methods, making it perfect for drought stricken environments

grows plants up to 50% faster than other farming techniques

yields up to 10X more produce using the same amount of space

can grow food all year round

doesn’t require soil or fertilizer

creates zero waste and pollution

can be assembled anywhere and scaled to feed your family or an entire community

is a self sustained system meaning there is almost NO maintenance necessary

HOW DOES IT WORK?

In an aquaponics garden, fish and plants coexist in harmony to create a perfectly balanced ecosystem that can yield food indefinitely. The fish waste fertilizes the plants while the plants filter the water for the fish. A water pump carries the nutrient rich fish waste water from the fish tank to the plant bed, while a drain pipe returns the clean plant filtered water back to the fish tank. Instead of the normally used soil and fertilizer combination, grow beds can be filled with different growing media like clay pebbles, river stone, pumice or pea gravel. Because this is a closed loop system, there is hardly a need for human interference. All you have to do is feed the fish. With a little ingenuity this task can also be automated, making your aquaponics garden 100% self sustained!

WHAT’S THE CATCH?

If you’re looking for a downside, you won’t find it here. However, there’s a different ‘catch’ to be discussed with aquaponics. Popular species of fish that can be harvested from an aquaponics system include tilapia, trout, catfish and carp. For gardeners that don’t eat fish, goldfish and koi are great options that can be kept as pets. When it comes to the plants, aquaponics gardens can grow over 300 different types of vegetables! The garden’s size and growing media are a couple of the factors that will determine what veggies the garden will grow best.

DO IT YOURSELF!

Ready to reap the benefits of aquaponics? With the highly rated ECO-Cycle Aquaponics Kit you can easily convert any standard size fish tank into an aquaponics garden. For supplies and information to help you build your own aquaponics garden, as well as a wide range of stylish pre-built systems that fit any space and budget needs, visit The Aquaponics Source. Whether you want a mini system to grow herbs in your kitchen or an aquaponics garden big enough to feed your family, they’ve got what you need. While you’re there you can also learn more about the amazing world of aquaponics and join its growing community of enthusiasts.

Not only can aquaponics feed your family, it can also feed the world! There are thousands still starving today not because we can’t produce enough food, but because we aren’t yet utilizing our resources correctly. Fortunately, aquaponics farming has the power to change this. I encourage you to dive deeper into this topic and teach others what you learn. The world faces many problems and now is the time to focus on the solutions. In his book, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell said that “one imaginative person applying a well-placed lever can move the world.” If this is true, just imagine what we can accomplish together!